Container for packaging and inflating pneumatic articles



April 10, 1956 E. D. HARROWE 2,741,360

CONTAINER FOR PACKAGING AND INFLATING PNEUMATIC ARTICLES Filed Nov. 6, 1953 FIG. 3. FIG. 2.

INVENTOR ELLIOTTD. HARROWE BY WW HIS ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 'CONTAINER 'EOR PA CKAGING ANDINFLATING PNEUMATIC 'ARTICEES sElliott- D.-.Hnrrowe,Hollis, N. ';:Y assigns: to Ideal Toy nCorpox-atiomflollis, N. Y.,acorporation OfNWsYOlk "Application November 6, 1953; SerialN $390,615

2aClaims. (Cl. 206-47 This inventionrelates generally to containers, and v is 'particularlydirected. to novel containers for pneumatic :"arn'cles.

il-Ieretofore, as is wellknownito those inithe'industry, the popular acceptance of, numeroustypes of pneumatic articles has been inhibitedby certain inherent "diiflcul- -ties. For example, inthe .case of plastic wading and "swimming*poolstordomestic use, a problem existsin 'thelack of simple andJconvenientlinflating means. "The *practice "of oral inflation is unsatisfactoryfor: obvious reasons, whilethe use of conventional bicycle pumpshas proved inefiective'forwant of capacity 'and adaptability. -Further, "the difliculty of'transporting such .pneumatic devices in their inflatedcondition prohibits theuseof relatively distant air pressure sources.

Another heretofore existentproblem inthe mass dis- 'tribution of pneumatic devices was the, necessity for;relatively expensive protective packaging "durin'gtransportationandetoragqbothbefore and after sale to the ultimate-consumer. "As inflatable devices'are usually fabricated of relatively fragile, sheet material, andhave'little orno rigidity irrtheir deflated condition, it was necessa'ry-to'employ relatively staunch, and consequently expensive, containers toassure protection against abusive handling.

Accordingly, itv is a principal t object of'the. present invention to provide simple and efficient means forpackaging -an'dinflating pneumatic articles so as to adequately "protect the same during transportation and; storage, and permit'of quick, easy and convenient inflationwithout the use of auxiliary devices.

It is another object of .the presentinvention'to'pro- 'vide anovel and inexpensive .container 'for pneumatic articles;which is rigid' and durable to afiordlong lasting protection, which is'variable in sizeto accommodateja wide variety'of'articles, and which is capable of'eifectingthetransfer of'flnid'under pressure into such pneu- "matic atticlesto distend'an'd inflate'the same.

It isanother object-of the present invention to provide 'ajcombination device forcontaining and inflating a'pneumatic'.article,"which device includes novel;and improved ;'features of "construction permitting of attachmentto. a pneumatic article of inflating the same.

.Other objects, of the present inventionwill become apjpa'rentupon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, whichformamaterial part of this disclosure.

The. invention accordingly consists in 'thefeatures of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified'in the construction hereinafteradescribed, andof which ,the scope will be indicated by theappendedclaims.

In the drawings:

Fig. =1 is'-asideelevational 'vie'wgpartly brokenaway, showing a device constructed in accordance with the present invention and a deflated, pneumatic article contained therein;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a pneumatic wad- .ingpool invinfiated condition, the inflating means of lthe present .invention being illustrated schematically in broken outline;

Fig.3 is a greatly enlarged side elevational view illustratingain detail a device constructed in accordance with -the present invention, the device being partially broken away for clarity of understanding;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially alongthe line 4-4 ofFig. 3;

'FigJS is -a sectional view taken substantially .along the line 5.-5' of Pig. 3;

Fig.6 is 'a bottom plan View of the device as shown inQFig. 3;

Fig. 7 is anenlarged view,'partly in section, showingi-a valve "enclosure-element of the pneumatic device adapted 'for'use with thepresent invention; and

Fig. "8 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view-showing the icombinationrdevice of the present invention, and afluidcommunicationwith each other, the'valvebeing .shown.in broken outline in its closed position.

"Referring now more particularly vto 'the drawings,'the embodiment of the invention illustrated therein com- ;prises a container, generally designated 10, and..a .pneumatic article '35 in deflated, folded condition and disposedwithin the container 10.

.The container 10 includes *a generally cylindrical or tubular member 11 having oneend :open, as at 12, and havingthe other'end closed by a 'closureor-plate13. The closure plate 13 is formed with a plurality of-ec- -centric.apertures'or openings 14, and further-provided iwithan inwardly extending open ended tubular member or sleeve IS-which has its'opposite ends 'opening' into Lthe interior'and'exterior of the cylindrical section'l'l'for ffiuid communication therebetween. On the inner end gvof'the sleeve '15 is formed an outstanding annularlip or flange 16,'for a purpose which will'appear presently. A flexible, "resilientsheet 17, which may be fabricated of rubber-or other suitable material, iscircumposed about -theisleeve -15 and preferably adhesively securedtothe inner surface of the plate 13. The sheet 17 is arranged "withjan outer portion or flap 18 freely overlying and 'closing the apertures 14. 'More particularly, the flap 18..is normally in covering or closing relation with *rcspectito the apertures 14 'and'is movable inwardlyrunderfluid pressure-to the dotted line position for opening the aperture. -It=will now be apparent that the 'flap' 18.and;apertures l4 combine to provide a one way'valve communicating between-the interior and exterior of'the cylinder "11 to :permit ingress of fluid through 'the'aperture and prevent egress of fluid therethrough.

'Snugly circumposed about the sleeve 15 isthe bottom 'wall "of an upwardly opening cup-shaped member 220, which; is held in position on the sleeve byv the upsetflange orlip'16. An outstanding bead orridge21 extends circumferentially about the cup-shaped memberZfl, spaced '"below'the upper edgev thereof; and, 'a downwardly. facing tor inverted complementary cup-shaped member "22 is "snugly'circumposed about the member'Zti and has its lower edge in abutting engagement with the beadZl.

-Fcn'medvin the top wall '23 of the inverted cup-shaped member'22 is an eccentrically disposed, through aperture24. A'fflexible resilient sheet'25 issecured in facing engagement with the undersurface of the wall 23, prefgerablyby adhesive means, and has an outerportion or "flap26 normally disposed in covering or closingrelation withrespecttothe aperture 24. The'fiap T26 is movable 'to'the position .shown in Fig. '3 under, the iinfluence of "fluid'pressure within the cylinder'll to open the aperture 24 and permit the passage of fluid through such aperture and out of the cylinder through the sleeve 15. Hence, the complementary cup-shaped members 20 and 22 combine to form a housing; and, the flap 26, movable :well' adapted for use with the present invention.

exterior of the valve member.

3 1 within the housing, cooperates with the aperture 24 to provide a one way valve which permits the egress of fluid from the member ll and preventing the entry of fluid therein.

A second tubular member or cylinder 27 is arranged in telescopic relation with respect to the cylinder 11 and has its distal end closed by a plate 23, its proximal end 29 remaining open. That is, the cylindrical section 27 has its open end 29 extending slidably inwardly through a which is of a variable size dependent upon the relative positions of the tubular members. Further, the member 27 is readily slidable in the member 11 to expand and contract the container 16; and, as the flap 18 permits the ingress of fluid upon expansion and the flap 26 permits the egress of fluid upon contraction, only slight back pressure is experienced. In practice, it has been found that close tolerance between the cylinders is unnecessary, so that cylinders fabricated of stiff cardboard function quite satisfactorily.

In Fig.2, for purposes of illustration, the pneumatic or the like will article 35 is shown as a wading pool, but it is appreciated that a wide variety of pneumatic articles areequally In order to inflate the pool 35, it is necessary to provide means for connection to a source of fluid supply. In

,Eig. 8 such a connection means is shown, wherein a relatively firm, but slightly yieldable plug 36 is formed with a through bore or hollow 37 and secured to the pool 35 so as to communicate between the interior and exterior thereof. A hollow tubular valve or closure.

member 38 is slidable in the plug 36 and extends beyond plate 40 and communicating between the interior and V 7 As seen in Fig. 8, the apertures 42 are disposed interiorly of the pneumatic article 35 when the valve element 33 is in its inward position of movement, so that fluid communication exists between the interior and exterior of the pneumatic article through the openings 42 and interior of the valve element. When the valveelement 33 is moved to its outward position, shown in broken outline, the openings 42 will be disposed within the plug 36 and closed thereby to prevent fluid communication between the interior and exterior of the pool.

As seen in Fig. 1, the pool 35 may be deflated and folded to occupy a relatively small space, in which con dition it may be completely and conformably enclosed within the container 1 More particularly, the tubular .members 27 and 11 may be separated for reception of the pneumatic article, and then replaced in their telescopic relation. Further, it will now be understood that the container 10 may be adjusted by relative sliding of the members 27 and 11 to conformably enclose pneumatic articles of different sizes, so that containers of equal dimensions constructed in accordance with the present invention may be employed for snugly enclosing articles of varying size. Of course, removal of the pneumatic 4 article may be efiected by reversing the above described procedure. When it is desired to inflate the pool 35, after its removal from the container 10, the valve element 38 is moved to its inward position, and the plug 36 and valve element are inserted into and frictionally engaged in the sleeve 15, as illustrated in Fig. 8. It is then only necessary to reciprocate the tubular member 27 relative to the tubular member 11, as by manual actuation of the handle 30, to efiectthe passage of fluid under pressure into the pneumatic article. More particularly, withdrawal of the tubular member 27 in the directionof the broken arrow serves to expand the container and draw fluid inwardly through the aperture 14; and, movement of the tubular member 27 in the direction of the solid arrow serves to close the flap 18, open the flap 26 and permit the passage of fluid through the aperture 24, and the sleeve 15 into the pneumatic article. Flow of fluid from the pneumatic article to the container 10 is prevented by automatic closure of the flap 26 under fluid pressure. When the pool has been sufliciently inflated or distended, the plug 36 is withdrawn from the sleeve 15, which action automatically moves the valve element 7 38 to its outer position and closes the apertures 42. Thus, it is now seen that the structural elements of the container 10 cooperate to provide a simple and eflicient means for inflating the pneumatic article 35, as well as to provide a durable and protective container for transportation and'storage of the pneumatic article.

It will also be noted that the loop 39 may serve as a carrying handle when the pneumatic article is disposed Within the container it), as expansion of the container and separation of the members. 11 and, 27 is prevented by closure of the aperture 14. That is, the' pneumatic article'in its folded condition will rest upon the flap 18 to close the aperture 14 so that fluid will not be admitted into the container and expansion thereof will be pre vented.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a device which fully accomplishes the intended objects, and which is well adapted to meet practical conditions of use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity and understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. In a variable size packaging device, a container comprising a pair of telescopic members of substantially equal length, said members having their distal ends closed and their proximal ends open to form a telescopic chamber, inlet means in the end of one of said sections, means in said telescopic chamber forming an outlet chamber and. having an aperture defined therein to provide communi' cation between said telescopic and outlet chambers, outlet means in said one end communicating with said outlet chamber, and valve means cooperating with said outlet chamber and operable in response to the expansion of said telescopic chamber to block said communication by way of said aperture and to permit said communication by way of said aperture in response to the contraction of said telescopic chamber.

2. In a packaging device'as in claim 1, said telescopic members being separable to permit articles to be inserted and removed therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,573,375 Winstead Oct. 30, 1951 

